Masonville Cove is a large, mostly open, waterfront plot in South Baltimore. This area is currently the site of a complex engineering project overseen by the Maryland Port Administration: the Masonville Cove Dredged Material Containment Facility. Geographically, the site breaks down into three main pieces. From west to east, call them the Claw, the Head, and the Shipyard.

What is so interesting is Scharmen's analysis of external forces shaping Masonville Cove: from the railroad spur which created the neighborhood, to the changes in the shipping industry, to how local journalism effectively killed ship breaking in Baltimore, moving the toxic work overseas.